October 2017
Joseph & James AUTUMN/WINTER 2018 COLLECTION
AW18 The Joseph & James Dipped collection samples inspiration from 90’s Hip-Hop music, fashions, and influencers. For more visit: josephandjames.com.au
Tony Whittaker, Designsource Showroom
Special thanks to Tony and Fenella Whittaker at Designsource. Designsource was pivotal in helping me source Italian wool suiting, high quality labelling as well as sponsoring me along the way so that I could achieve the best possible outcome for this collection.
CONTENTS
The Dipped Magazine’s October edition takes an inside look at Joseph & James as a brand, the AW18 Dipped collection and inspiration behind it, as well as the various elements that brought the collection together.
p. 6
About the designer
p. 7
Brand Development
p. 13
Design Process
p. 19
Practitioner-based Research
p. 33
Technical Specifications
p. 37
Conclusions & Recommendations
p. 41
Editorial Photoshoot
Konker wears the So Fresh and So Clean Shirt in white.
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ABOUT THE DESIGNER
My name is Juanita Page, and I am a lover of the creative, an avid tea drinker, and someone that has a somewhat normal fetish for all things stationery and fabric. I’ve grown up with the dream of becoming a fashion designer since I was 10 years old, and although my path on getting to where I am now hasn’t strictly been fashion related, the journey it has taken me on has shaped me into the designer I am today. I initially fell in love with the fantasy of fashion through watching award shows like Fashion Awards Australia, entertainment programs like Project Runway, channels like FashionTV, and of course staying up late to see who celebrities wore on the red carpet to the annual Music and Screen Award Galas. The glitz and glamour of such televised events captivated me, and it made me want to be the name celebrities said when asked “who are you wearing”? It wasn’t until I first studied fashion at the Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE (MSIT) in Mt Gravatt, Queensland, that my interest in menswear blossomed. Up until that point, I’d been solely focused on womenswear, specifically evening and bridal wear. However, not long into my stint at MSIT I noticed everyone was designing womenswear, which begged the question – who’s creating for the men?
Juanita Page Melbourne-based fashion designer, and creator behind Joseph & James mens streetwear label.
This was a pivotal point in my design journey, as I hadn’t considered designing menswear before. I went cold turkey and shifted my sights to menswear. I researched what was in the market, where I could fit as a designer and evaluated whether this was something I could see myself still passionate about in years to come. What was once simply an observation, turned into an opportunity to create things outside my comfort zone, which then also consequently expanded my skills as a designer. With 3 wedding dresses under my belt – including my own – I haven’t lost interest in womenswear, rather my priorities have simply changed. Eventually I’d like to incorporate womenswear into my brand, Joseph & James, but for now, menswear is where I’ll be launching this chapter of my fashion journey. For more visit: juanitapage.com
p. 7
Delving into Joseph & James as a brand; who they align themselves with, and what values make up their brand identity.
Brand Development
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BRAND VALUES 5 values that Joseph & James are founded on, and what they mean to the brand.
Passion Create from a sense of purpose and intent; choose not to settle for something that doesn’t entice, or excite.
Authentic Be transparent and open about who Joseph & James is as a brand and what they do in any and every area of the brand in order to evoke genuine trust and respect.
Accountable Deliver on promises and find better ways to create/innovate when the current processes may not cut it anymore.
Diversity Use platform to celebrate and support the diversity that define who we are as individuals.
Fresh Offer a different approach to menswear through mixing elements of street and suiting; comfort and style in a commercial setting.
BRAND IDENTITY
BRAND IDENTITY
The characteristics that make up Joseph & James, and how these may be outworked through various avenues.
Joseph & James Labelling Sourced through Designsource, manufactured by SML, and designed by Juanita Page.
J
oseph & James is a name birthed from the desire to create a brand that would not only connect to its customers, but also tie back to the brand creator as well. When contemplating brand names, it seemed only fitting to include the main men in my life in the conception of my menswear label. Thus, grew the idea to utilise the names of my father, Peter Joseph, and my husband, Ashford James, as the name that would carry my brand. Both men are strong, reliable, hard working and honest in everything they do, and so by branding their names on this label, I believe that Joseph & James will embody these qualities also. To outwork Joseph & James as an established brand, I found it imperative to not only create appropriate branding and logos, but to also design labelling that showcased and identified garments as being from Joseph & James. This was a priority from inception of the Dipped Collection. To aid with sourcing such labelling, I fortunately started interning for fashion
agency, Designsource, last year and have since been brought on as staff which has been an amazing opportunity in itself. Designsource offers the complete product process for both mens and womens fashion. From concept and sourcing, through to development and production, Designsource tailors unique solutions for an individual brands requirements (Designsource, 2017). One of the areas they assist brands with is sourcing quality labelling and trims for their clients. I was lucky enough to utilise these services for Joseph & James. After working with Designsource for over a year, I’ve been exposed to different labelling qualities and aesthetics. This has helped me be discerning with my own labelling needs and how to design branding that will not only illustrate the brand clearly, but also connect with customers simply based on face value. The labelling that was created includes sizing/origin label, a couple of different sizes and layouts for branding labels, care/content labels, as well as branding pips that are visible on the outer garment.
In addition to labelling, swing tickets were also created. Designed to have two layers of tickets – on top transparent matte wax paper with Joseph & James printed, and a thicker card as the second layer with the logo on it. Unfortunately, these took longer to manufacture, and are still in the process of completion. Overall, I believe the labelling created personifies Joseph & James as a streetwear brand, but also embodies the high standard the brand aims to set as a benchmark.♌
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BRAND RESEARCH Analysing what Joseph & James is about and how this relates to where they sit in the market.
J
oseph & James builds the brand on a foundation established with a strong focus on high quality – in areas such as construction, style and fabrications. It is not the intent of the brand to provide ‘fashion’ to it’s consumers, rather construct a lifestyle that is desirable for the target market to buy into and want be a part of.
your name on display for all to see can be a major selling point for consumers. They not only want to buy into your brand because of your brand values and what you stand for, but they want others to see that they’re vying for this brand as well. They want to be associated with the status of the brand, as well as what the brand is about.
In order to execute this philosophy, Joseph & James choose to create from a sense of purpose and intent; they don’t settle for something that doesn’t entice, or excite. For these reasons Joseph & James positions itself as a high end streetwear brand.
This is why branding was such an important checkpoint for me when establishing Joseph & James as my brand. I needed something that would look good, yes, but I also needed something that would sell. Something that’s not only seen as a label, but also something consumers would want to be draping over themselves when showcasing their style.
Our target market is 25-35 year old males who are lucky enough to have a disposable income. They’re someone who keeps up to date with what’s current in the streetwear scene through avenues like Highsnobiety, the Illest Magazine, Hypebeast, The GREATest Magazine, but also keep their ear to the ground when it comes to the tailored sector of menswear through Instagram accounts such as @bdmotp, @thesartorialist, and @nickwooster.
“Joseph & James choose to create from a sense of purpose and intent; they don’t settle for something that doesn’t entice, or excite” They like to eat out more often than not, and they know their way around whatever city they’re living in by cuisine, good coffee and hip bars. Their music tastes aren’t restricted to any one thing, rather they chose what they listen to based on vibe, nostalgia and what suits the moment they’re living at any one time. Joseph & James aligns itself among brands such as Stella McCartney for men, Alexander Wang, Fear of God, Stampd, A.P.C, Off-White and No. 21. Each of these brands have a loyal following and it’s easy to see each individual brand’s flavour executed through their respective collections. It is my intent for Joseph & James to embody those same characteristics. Branding is one area that can be incorporated into a label to showcase who the garment belongs to. In a lot of streetwear brands, having
I’ve outworked this in various areas throughout the Dipped collection, namely through labelling, a variety of digital and screen printing, as well as custom knits and embroidery. This form of ornamentation not only adds interest to the garments, but it also becomes a marketing tool for the brand. People buy high end brands to show them off. So if you have branded garments that set them apart from other brands, other consumers can discover you simply by seeing others showcasing their style in a street setting, or even during fashion week were fashion influencers all over the world are being snapped and copied for their styling and fashion choices.♦
BRAND RESEARCH
Top Screen printed placement print. Middle The Me, Myself & I fully fashioned knit. Bottom Embroidery on the The World is Yours coat.
p. 13
Design Process
Outlining design concepts relating to the AW18 Dipped collection, and the motivation behind choosing this area of study.
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COLLECTION INSPIRATION Where Dipped started and how it progressed into the first AW collection for Joseph & James.
Juanita Page – Collection Planning Evaluating fabrics, colour choices, silhouettes and how to combine these things cohesively.
M
y graduate collection is founded on a different approach to menswear through mixing elements of street and tailored; comfort, style and sass.
When exploring what that could mean for this collection, I found myself caught up in 90’s hip-hop streetwear and the interesting flavour that era could impart on the tailored/suiting element of my brand and what that may look like once realised. Delving deeper, I watched documentary Fresh Dressed. This further solidified my affection for this period of fashion and music, and what it brought in areas of colour, silhouette, prints/patterns, fashion influencers and diversity. This was a time where hip-hop artists like L.L. Cool J could dictate what sold in stores through what he wore, hip-hop artists like P.Diddy could start their own successful fashion labels, and designers like Dapper Dan could be as desirable (if not moreso) as Gucci, Louis Vuitton and the likes. “Make sure that we were able to go from the block to the boardroom. And if you had an interview you were able to represent yourself the right way. If you were going to church, you were able to represent yourself the right way. Fresh from head to toe, you know?” (Combs, 2015). This is exactly how I wanted to represent my label through this collection. Pairing suiting with street so that no matter what occasion you’ve got going, Joseph & James got you covered. So, as to not get too heavy on one area over another (street over suiting), I also researched into what high end brands are doing,
or likely to do for AW18, though looking at recent catwalks by brands Joseph & James aligns with, analysing forecasting trends by WGSN, and checking out suiting trends through platforms like Best Dressed Man on the Planet. Looking at areas such as tailoring, trouser silhouettes, cut & sew trends, and fabrication trends.
“Make sure that we were able to go from the block to the boardroom... Fresh from head to toe, you know?” Through mixing these two concepts, I designed street silhouettes in Italian pinstripe suiting and tailored creations tweaked with details not normally associated with suiting. These are displayed through the elements that make up both Look One and Look Two. I’ve entitled this collection Dipped; which to any unsuspecting person would represent being immersed into a body of water or possibly something that accompanies an edible snack. However, Dipped can also be described as ‘to be well put-together, as in fashion, style et cetera’. The common usage comes from the early to mid-90s when
Fashion Illustrations From left to right: Look One, Look Two, Look Three, and Look Four. Three & Four make up the additional outfits included in the Dipped collection.
people were describing how they or someone else looked. Other words that could be used were “Laid”, “Fly”, “Phat”, “Togetha”, “Dope”, in “your Sunday-go-to-Meetins” (Sunday best/fineries), “Stylin”. (One, 2010). This not only aligns with the concept behind the collection, but with the brand as well – stylin’ while also rooted in street. From there inspiration continued to flow through the lens of the 90’s hip-hop era. I looked at who was influencing at that time – Will Smith – largely due to the hit TV show he was fronting at that time, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Smith wasn’t only one to watch on TV, he was also highly popular for his hip-hop rhymes and the fashions he wore. Brands would approach him to wear their product so that he could wear it on The Fresh Prince, and then while millions of people are watching the show for entertainment, they’re also getting fashion tips (Jenkins, 2015).
This then snowballed into me looking further into Smith. What his songs were about during that time, what was shown in his music videos, and if there was any reoccurring themes. I found there was a repeated reference to a favourite past time, and that was of course basketball. I experimented with how I could incorporate this into my collection seamlessly, and came up with the Playbook print. This is features in Look Two and as the name suggests, it was inspired by basketball plays. These are the drawings coaches would scribe on print-outs of a court to show what plays the team should do during a game. This was a great way of incorporating something not obviously linked to basketball, unlike the Givenchy basketball collection of 2014 (Vogue, 2014). The inspiration behind the Dipped collection has helped create a strong story for consumers to connect with.♦
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FABRICS
Exploring the art of sourcing high quality fabrications.
“To source fabrics through an exclusive avenue such as this has been an incredible feat”
F
rom the start I knew sourcing my fabrics would be an area where I would spend a large portion of my budget for the colleciton, as high quality doesn’t come cheap. If you’re going to be charging high fashion prices, you’ve got to validate that price bracket, and validating through fabrications used is a good place to start. Fortunately, through working for Designsource, I’ve created great working relationships with the owners, Tony Whittaker and his wife, Fenella, and this has opened doors for me to source fabrics through their exclusive list of fabric mills. Designsource, specialises in sourcing quality and fine fabrics through the exclusive
relationships they’ve formed with premium apparel fabric mills across Italy, Portugal and Asia (Designsource, 2017). Whittaker has worked extensively with the best European and Asian mills throughout his career of 35 years, and established Designsource with a commitment to represent them for the Australian fashion industry (Designsource, 2017). Designsource partners with brands such as Country Road, Calibre, Henry Bucks, M. J. Bale, Drysabone, and Rodd and Gunn. To be able to source fabrics through an exclusive avenue such as this has been an incredible feat, to say the least. The hardest part of this process was
choosing what fabric to purchase, as there’s an endless amount of options to sift through from European fabric mills like Marlane, Paulo De Oliveira, Pontetorto, and Guabello. The fabrics I sourced through Designsource can be seen in the suiting elements of my collection. The Track-Suit jacket and trouser, The World is Yours coat, as well as the Playbook pant are all fabrics which have been sourced through Designsource. Other fabrications used in the collection were also carefully sourced through local stores such as Davisha, The Fabric Store, and various small businesses scattered throughout Brunswick who stock quality fabrics that align with the Joseph & James brand.♦
Left Virgin Wool suiting sourced through Designsource from Marlane, an Italian fabric mill. Right Juanita Page, Designsource Showroom.
p. 19
Exploring the research behind the Dipped AW18 collection and the practical work– sampling, experimentation, practical methods, relevant technologies, etc. – that brought it into fruition.
Practitioner-based Research
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SAMPLING
The process behind getting fit and silhouettes perfect for the story that the Dipped collection creates.
Left First round of samples for Look One. Right First round of samples for Look Two.
P
reparing for this collection prior to the start of this semester, I shopped around like a buyer for a clothing brand; looking for styles that suit the brand they’re associated with. I took my fit model and husband, Ashford, along with me and set out with the intention to find garments that fit the way I wanted mine to fit. Looking at silhouettes, volume and how they sat on the body were my main points of interest when it came to this expedition. We went to stores like Adidas and Superdry as they had styles I was including in my collection – hoodies, basketball shorts and tracksuit jackets – but they weren’t too expensive that I wasn’t able to purchase them as samples. It was from these samples I based my shapes on, as my thought was this would save a lot of time in the sampling stages. However, my downfall was prioritising the measurements of the samples over the pattern making knowledge I’d gained over the last 3 years of study. It was because of this that when it came to fitting these to the stand or even to the fit model, they weren’t what I’d hoped for – fully resolved garments. The fantasy that this method would save me so much time was just that, a fantasy. It did teach me a lesson to not disregard pattern making methods. It also meant I had to re-sample all my garments, so if anything, it doubled the time I spent
on sampling, which was an unfortunate outcome. I made everything to fit Ashford, not only so I would always have my fit model handy, but so there would be someone who could benefit from this collection by getting a new wardrobe at the end of the semester. After all, when you’re spending a small fortune and hundreds of hours on creating something, you want it to go to good use once you’re finished. Although I dislike the sampling stage – mainly because it’s generally in calico, and calico is boring – this is where I resolve not only fit issues, but design details as well. It’s here that I can see the fully realised garments prior to how they look in final fabrics, and I can add or change anything before setting it in stone, as they say, in the final garments. In Look One, from the first round of sampling to the second issues like the hoodie’s armhole being lower that the jacket being worn over it were amended. The trouser was also too wide for the look I wanted, so another sample was made to ensue the silhouette aligned with the design. In Look Two, I changed the look of the coat, which included a ribbed hemline on the jacket and the sleeves to liken itself to
a bomber jacket. Initially I loved this idea, combining two separate elements to make something new. However, after reviewing the fabric chosen to make this coat, it didn’t work cohesively with the colour of the hooded jumper in Look One. So, after deliberating on how I could solve this issue, I amended the aesthetic of the coat to fit more in line with the tailored aspect of my brand, while also utilising a suiting fabric closer to that of Look One’s Track-Suit. It is at this stage in the design process that I changed the look of my coat in Look Two from a bomber inspired jacket, to something a little more traditional, while still keeping the street element through the embroidery detailing on the back shoulder. I also altered finishes on the Track-Suit trouser waistband from Look One; rather than having it be disconnected at the side seams to accommodate the ‘rip away’ design, I closed the waistband to create a better fit, and a more reliable trouser that wouldn’t accidentally pop open. Happy to say that after the second round of sampling, everything fit the way I wanted it to and design details were fully resolved. I just made minor adjustments to pant lengths as I knew my model I’d organised for the photoshoot was very tall, and I didn’t want the pants to look too short on him.♦
SAMPLING
Look Two fully resolved. Featuring the new style of coat, accompanying the shirt and cropped pant.
Left Pant block re-sampled for better fit. Right Amending shirt block and getting fit just right.
Back view.
Amending the collar to sit smoothly over the shoulders.
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Reflecting on the process of incorporating this element into the Dipped collection.
A
t the beginning of the Associate Degree we had the option to choose one of two paths, knit stream or print stream. Evidentially I chose print, and that decision has shaped much of my design processes over the past 3 years.
To complete a yardage repeat when screen printing, it’s common practise to print every odd number, then fill in the gaps. This allows for ink to dry and prevents against smudging. Generally, you can do a couple of repeats before having to rinse the screen.
In almost every design assessment I’ve completed over the years, I have experimented with prints in order to add an extra element to the designs I create.
However, due to the opacity I had to use for the dark fabric I had chosen, I had to thoroughly rinse and dry the screen between every single print as the ink was so dense. In turn, this unfortunately wasted a lot of water.
For this collection I experimented with 2 types of printing, screen printing and digital printing, and of those I produced 2 yardage prints as well a couple of placement prints. After collecting quotes from various reputable screen printing businesses in Melbourne, it was clear that this project wasn’t going to be cheap. However, this was something I knew from the outset, as with screen printing there’s a high initial price for setting up the screens used for printing your designs. This process not only uses costly products - cost of the screen, cost of the emulsion, cost of printing the design template - but it also requires a lot of time and labour. Thankfully I was fortunate enough to be able to utilise the print room facilities we have on campus. This was an avenue I wasn’t 100% sure would come to fruition, as in previous years when you’re not enrolled in a print or textile design course, access to the print room is often denied. It just so happened that I was lucky enough to print during the mid-semester break, therefore not impeding on time or space of other students who may be enrolled in the aforementioned courses.
“I have experimented with prints in order to add an extra element to the designs I create” This was such a blessing, as not only was I able to cut costs on a process that was initially going to cost me an arm and a leg, but I was also fortunate to get those costs covered by the budget of the Bachelor program, thanks to Tim Lindgren. My initial estimates on how long it would take me to complete this task were short, by a fair few hours. The time it takes to set up the screens is almost a whole days work. A good portion of that time is merely waiting for screens to dry. Firstly for the emulsion to set, and then after you’ve exposed the screen and hosed it down it also needs at least an hour to dry before printing. This was time I hadn’t thought was going to take as long as it did, therefore my printing time got pushed back even further.
As you can imagine, this was a mission running (literally) back and forth from the printing tables to the rinsing troughs and back again, every 5 minutes. Although I saved money by cutting costs, it definitely was a labour of love, as this was no easy task. It took me 4 passes to get the ink nice and even, and as you can see by the size of the repeats – pictured right – the screen size in comparison to my fabric is rather small. So you can imagine how many times I had to do those trips in order to rinse off and return back to print again. Issues I encountered while printing was where the fabric wasn’t taut enough, the printing ink held to the screen rather than the fabric, leaving patches that weren’t as defined as others. This is where printing a whole 6 metres comes in handy, as I was able to find areas that were printed evenly and cut pattern pieces from there. However, this also can be rather wasteful of fabric, if those uneven areas get discarded an unused. It took me a total of 4 visits to the print room to complete the yardage and placement prints, as opposed to the initial 2 visits I thought I would need. This included the time it took to set up the screens. Thankfully, I was able to arrange extra time with Print Room manager, Dani, which didn’t interrupt regular classes. Overall, I’m very proud of what I achieved through this process, and it makes it even sweeter that I completed this from start to finish at the work of my own hands.
RMIT Brunswick Print Room 600cmx150cm yardage print on Italian wool suiting.
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Yardage Repeat Print This is an example of printing faults during screen printing. Here, the screen has slightly moved when taking it off the fabric after printing, which has caused smudging.
Placement Print There’s a couple of different elements that need to be considered when placement printing. Firstly colours – if you’re doing a print that has more than one colour, find a combination that works not only together, but also with the colour of the fabric your printing on. In my case, I originally was going to print on a yolk yellow, rather than the lemon yellow fabric, pictured right. However, upon advice from teachers, the yolk yellow cheapened the aesthetic, and this was something I wasn’t going to risk. So to amend, I got in touch with Quick Response Fabrics, where I bought prepare for garment dye (PFGD) sweatshirting and ribbing, which was 100% cotton. Excellent quality fabric. I then dyed the fabric myself using Jacquard iDye, and it turned out a treat. Secondly, size and placement. This all depends on the look you’re trying to achieve, but in this case, I was going for a general chest placement, nothing too out of the ordinary, rather allowing the print to speak for itself. I’m chuffed with the way it turned out. The colours work great, the placement is where it needs to be and the print itself is even and smooth. If there was one thing I’d do differently for next time, I’d make the clearance for the different colours a bit less, so that there would be no gaps between the black and red areas.
Above Final lining outcome. Below Digital version of lining print. Digital Print I outsourced this print through Melbourne digital textile printers, Next State, but designed the print myself. I love creating prints, and the purpose behind this one was to be used as lining in my jackets and pants. I chose to do red on black as red was used as a highlight colour throughout my collection, and black to suit any of the garments the lining was going to be used in. There’s also a white shadow on the logo, however, on the lining it doesn’t stand out as much. This is due to the clarity of the print not being as refined as when it’s viewed on a screen. It’s almost as if there’s some blurring happening, but I think this is due to the fabrication that was printed on. I chose a lightweight satin to complete this task, as although there was no specific option for lining, this was the closest option available, and worked a treat. One issue that happened at the hands of the printers, was where a part of the fabric had folded and printed over the top, leaving an area of white, unprinted fabric. Although not visible unless that part of the fabric is unfolded to reveal the unprinted area, Next State were very good by only charging me for 6m of fabric, when I had ordered 7m. I had a very pleasant experience with them, and would definitely work with them again.♦
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KNIT
Collaborating with a knit technician to see a fully fashioned knit realised.
Paul the Knit Technician Setting up the 6 gauge machine for testing samples and knitting.
H
aving chose to pursue the print stream over the knit stream, I hadn’t previously had any experience working with fully fashioned knits, or creating the specs for them either. However, when the opportunity to incorporate this into our collections was offered, I jumped at the chance. Today, a successful label can’t just be any one thing (generally). You need to offer your customers variety – not just in garments, or colour, but in types of fabrication as well. Including a fully fashioned knit was a must, in order to add a one of a kind knit garment to the collection. Initially I wanted to create a 2x2, or 2x1 rib knit, so that the lines, or stripes, from the rib would coincide with the pinstripe fabric I was also using. However, when time came to sample this look, the Joseph & James logo got lost, even though the colours were inverted (see sample 1). Therefore, to counteract this unforeseen issue, I changed the logo to be that of a single jersey, rather than continuing the rib into the logo. However, that made the knit sit funny due to the types of knits that were being put together. So, a third sample was made. This time going for a less complicated knit, single jersey, with grey on the front, and charcoal on the back. This was the best outcome of all the samples produced, and so moving forward, both Paul and I agreed that this would be the optimum knit for the jumper I wanted to make.
Although not what I had initially planned, it still had the fundamentals of what I wanted; to see the Joseph & James logo and the chunky rib details around neck and hems of jumper and sleeves. As you can see on the front of the knit – pictured right – there’s a few lines that move across the knit horizontally. This is not a design feature. Rather, these areas where the backing colour, charcoal, has slipped to the front while being knitted. Unfortunately this can’t be amended after it’s been knitted. However, to the untrained eye, I don’t think it takes away from the knit aesthetically. So although it’s an error in terms of design, structurally the knit is fine. As we had to sew the pattern pieces ourselves, they had to be overlocked with yarn. However the yarn I had available was too thick for the overlockers at RMIT as well as my commercial overlocker I had available at home. So, I had to settle for thread instead. I was worried how this would turn out, but it seemed to work a treat. Very happy with how it all came together, and enjoyed this experience of working with knit in a different way than I was used to.♦
KNIT
Sampling Initial plans for my knit changed after viewing samples and how certain techniques make the knit react in different ways. From left to right: sample 1, sample 2, sample 3. Sample 3 was chosen for best visibility of the logo.
Flat Lay All the pieces to the puzzle, prior to overlocking them all together.
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EMBROIDERY
Incorporating embroidery to re-align a traditional mens garment back to the street aspect of the brand.
Embroidery Design From left to right: Initial concept, second text, final text.
I
ncluding embroidery into my collection was an avenue I embarked on in the later stages of my collection. This came about after I’d decided to change the fabrication and look of my coat in Look 2. As I had decided to use a traditional suiting fabric, I wanted to add an element that would re-align the garment to the street aspect of the brand. Incorporating embroidery seemed to be a perfect fit. Thinking up what I wanted the embroidery to say, I wanted it to keep in with the theme of the collection, as well as share a message at the same time. The inspiration behind the text used for the coat, was sourced from 90’s hiphop songs that were popular for that time. As seen above, the first concept was using a Will Smith song. This particular lyric comes from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song. I thought this lyric would be suitable considering the ties it had with the origins of
this collection, however, aesthetically, it just didn’t seem to work.
“Overcoming and rising above your circumstances, no matter what they might be” I then moved on to Don’t Believe the Hype by Public Enemy, because of the message it had within the song. This was mostly about the political issues that were current in the United States at the time of its release. Now, even
though Joseph & James is about celebrating diversity and what makes us who we are as individuals, this message may be lost on those who don’t know the origins of the lyrics. This is when I moved on to The World is Yours by Nas. This song is considered by music critics as one of the greatest hip-hop songs ever recorded (Adaso, 2017). It’s about overcoming and rising above your circumstances, no matter what they might be. So, not only does the song have a positive, empowering message behind it, the song title itself achieves the same purpose. This is why I chose to go with The World is Yours as the final embroidered text. I outsourced this through Seaford Embroidery, who are a franchise of EmbroidMe, a well known embroidery service. I requested quotes from several companies, and these guys came back with a quote that was half what other places were asking for the same job. This heavily
EMBROIDERY
influenced my decision in choosing Seaford Embroidery as the collection budget was getting closer to its limits. The downside was that I had to travel to Seaford, from Brunswick, but it seemed like a small price to pay considering the money I was saving. The turn around and communications with this company was excellent, however, due to the density of the embroidery, it heavily bubbled my fabric. I was told I could steam out the wrinkles, but if anything, this made them worse. Because of this, I unfortunately had to cut the embroidery out of the back panels, cut new back panels, and then sew the embroidery back on – as pictured right. This was an unfortunate turn of events, but I still managed to achieve what I wanted. To save the back panel that would otherwise be discarded, I used the leftover pieces for other panels that had yet to be cut. After the dramas of bubbling were sorted, I’m happy with the way the coat turned out. I definitely think adding embroidery to the garment achieved the street vibe I was after, to an otherwise traditional looking coat.♦
Top Picture of the embroidery digitised, ready for output. Middle The bubble effect. Irreversible pinching of the fabric. Bottom The final product. Embroidery cut out and sewn onto a new back.
DIPPED
DIGITAL DESIGN
Inventing through Computer-Aided Design programs like Rhino 3D Printing, Marvellous Designer & Illustrator.
Laser cut glasses Konker wears the Rock Steady glasses in liquorish gloss.
T
his semester, we’ve been exploring the realms of 3D printing and laser cutting, and how to include those elements into our collections. Initially, I found this to be a challenging task to know what I would create that would be cohesive, not only with my collection, but with my brand as well. However, after delving into the possibilities that 3D printing and laser cutting could bring, I decided to create a set of glasses that were sleek, and connected with the origins of the 90’s hip-hop scene that influenced the Dipped collection. The large, square shaped frames reference the glasses worn by those in the 90’s hip-hop era, and the thinner width of the frames keep the aesthetic current with the modernity of today. To create these glasses I utilised Adobe Illustrator, as laser cutting machines are programmed through this platform.
As I wear glasses myself, it was convenient for me to have multiple pairs of glasses at my fingertips to model the Rock Steady glasses off. This helped with getting the measurements for the bridge of the glasses, width of the frames, and how big I could make them before they would become to large for the wearer. As 3D printing isn’t necessarily a cheap venture to embark on – material costs, costs of utilising a laser cutting machine – I did what I could to utilise RMIT’s FabShop facilities, but due to the last semester requiring most courses to be creating their final collection pieces, the machines book out quickly. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to book a spot through FabShop prior to my photoshoot, but thankfully was able to outsource the glasses through Melbourne Laser Cutters, who completed the job within 4 working days. The glasses are made using acrylic sheeting in black and clear, sourced through a
fellow student at RMIT, as well as through Melbourne Laser Cutters. These are then cut into two separate frames – one for the outer frame in black, and the other for the inner frame in clear. Each corresponding piece is glued together before connecting the glasses together as a whole. To connect the glasses arms with the frames I used the mortise and tenon method – wherein the arms have an extra length added to the end that attaches with the frames and likewise the frames have an area cut out for the arms to fit into. This is then glued into place to hold them strong and essentially be a wearable accessory. I’m thrilled at the outcome. They’re not only functional – everything sits where it was designed to sit – they also effortlessly tie the collection back to it’s roots.♦
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Garment analysis of Look One and Look Two from the AW18 Dipped Collection, and the routes chosen to produce the final garments in those outfits.
Technical Specifications
DIPPED
GARMENT ANALYSIS Looking into the technical aspects of Look One and Look Two.
Look One & Look Two A scrapbook approach to visualising the two looks together, prior to the final garments being made.
A
t the beginning of semester we were presented with the opportunity to outsource the making of our final looks, therefore meaning we wouldn’t have to.
This seemed like an excellent chance to offload outfits to be professionally made and finished, while also granting me more time to create other items that could be additional to the two looks. Upon further investigation, the price to make these garments wasn’t as exciting as the opportunity it brought. In fact, it wasn’t just the monetary aspect, but also the extra work in organising specs for someone else to be able to know exactly what you want, that deterred me from following through with this venture. It seemed more beneficial for me to continue business as usual, than to add an extra load and cost to my already long list of tasks to complete. Therefore, I made all of the garments myself, some on industrial machines, and some on the machines I have available at home. All in all, I’m proud of what I’ve achieved in the time frame given for this collection. Despite a couple of things that could have been avoided – like having to remove the fusing from the front of my coat from Look 2 due to shrinkage – I think the outcome of this collection is something to be celebrated. Look One This out fit is comprised of the Track-Suit jacket and trouser, paired with the So Fresh and So Clean shirt, and the Can I Kick It? hoodie. The Track-Suit jacket is a fully lined, hip length jacket with collar, collar stand, front patch pockets, press stud CF closure, and press stud sleeve closure as well. Made with 100% Italian virgin wool suiting.
The Track-Suit trouser has a wide leg silhouette, welt pockets on front and back right, fly front with mens opening, elasticated waistband, side seam opening from hem to waistband secured with press studs, and custom Joseph & James woven tape detail. Made with 100% Italian virgin wool suiting. The So Fresh and So Clean shirt has a high-low hem, clean CF button placket (no stitching), in-seam left chest pocket, semi-point collar, bias cut back yoke, sleeve placket and sleeve cuff. Made with 100% cotton shirting. The Can I Kick It? hoodie is an oversized hooded jumper, with extra long ‘fat laces’ drawstrings, large front joey pocket, with long ribbing on jumper and sleeve hems dyed to match sweatshirting. Made from 100% cotton sweatshirting and 100% cotton ribbing. Look Two Look Two is made up of The World is Yours coat, the Swish shirt, and the Playbook pant. The World is Yours coat is a fully lined, knee length, 3SB coat with peak lapel, collar and collar stand, front welt pockets, internal chest welt pockets, two-piece sleeves, single back vent, and back shoulder embroidery. Made from 100% Italian virgin wool suiting. The Swish shirt has a slight high-low hem, concealed CF button placket, two front chest pockets, semi-point collar, bias cut back yoke, sleeve placket and sleeve cuff. Made with 100% cotton shirting. The Playbook pant are a 3/4 cropped pant with folded hem, front slant pockets, back right welt pocket, fly front with mens opening, and elasticated waistband. Made from 100% Italian virgin wool suiting.♦
Technical Drawings From left to right: Look One, Look Two
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Analysis of the collection, focusing on various parts of the project to evaluate what worked, and what maybe didn’t work as well, in order to provide suggestions for further research.
Conclusions & Recommendations
DIPPED
FINAL THOUGHTS Reflecting on the process behind creating the Dipped collection.
B
efore even starting this semester I had a clear direction of where I wanted this collection to go aesthetically. The fundamentals of Joseph & James being synonymous with street mixed with suiting, grounded my design decisions throughout this whole process. I began with the 90’s hip-hop inspiration, and everything that flowed from that place came back to who Joseph & James was and what customers would be buying from them. Something that really helped me on this journey was establishing who I was as a brand early on, which then helped me to work out where I sat in the market, and what other brands Joseph & James aligned with. This was critical in looking at what types of garments a brand at that level would produce for certain seasons, and how many of each type they would make. This helped in the beginning design stage, when I was working out my garment matrix. From this, birthed the outfits that make up Look One and Look Two. I’m really proud of where this collection has come from and what it has become. I think it is key to keep re-evaluating what you’re doing, and where you’re headed at every stage of this process. Remind yourself of the inspiration behind what you’re making so you don’t get blindsided by the practical out-workings of those designs. I found that at times I’d wonder if what I was making was even any good? It was in those moments I had to remind myself of where I’d started and how far I had come. One thing I wish I’d done differently, was not allowing more time at the initial sampling stage. I think If I gave myself more time to problem solve during those initial stages, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time having to fix the mistakes that were missed in the beginning. A lesson learned for next time.
“I think it is key to keep re-evaluating what you’re doing, and where you’re headed at every stage of this process” If money was no object, and I was able to outsource everything I possibly could, I definitely would have outsourced my final garments, rather than choosing to make them myself. At the very end of making the collection, the pile of tasks you have to complete gets ridiculously high. You can make silly mistakes due to lack of sleep. So, looking back, it would have been amazing to not have to sew for days on end,
just to meet that deadline. This could have allowed for more time to be spent on creating extra outfits for the collection, as well as fine tuning other assessments that are due around the same time. Another thing I would have outsourced is the screen printing. Although the placement print was quick and easy, the yardage repeat print was so time consuming and labour intensive that I could barely walk after my longest session. I had not realised the work I had cut out for myself in choosing to complete that task myself. So, besides the fact that I am super proud of what I achieved through the production of those prints, if I could save myself the broken back, I would in a heartbeat. A couple of things I was glad I went the extra mile on was paying for a good photographer, Vlad Savin, involving a seasoned model, Konker, for my photoshoot, and I even recruited my husband as videographer, as he’s a an experienced DOP, Producer/Director, Editor, and general all-rounder. This made the shoot day run unbelievably smooth and took a load off my back. I didn’t have to give too much direction, as having these experienced guys on team made everything flow without a glitch. This allowed me to focus on styling, as well as ensuring the clothes were sitting the way they needed to while Konker was wearing them. I also recruited a team of friends to help out on the day. They did coffee runs, managed the tent where all the camera equipment was kept during the shoot, made sure everyone was well fed and had enough water, and took behind the scenes photos. I 100% recommend having a team to support you on photoshoot day. Although there are a couple of things I’d change if I did this again, I am proud at what I’ve achieved, and very happy with the result of the collection I produced.♦
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Model: Konker Photographer: Vlad Savin Photography Location: Barkly Street Park, Brunswick 21 October 2017
Editorial Photoshoot
Front View The So Fresh and So Clean Shirt in white, paired with the Men in Black Short in black pinstripe Italian suiting.
Front View The Me, Myself & I Knitted Jumper in grey and charcoal, paired with the So Fresh and So Clean Shirt in white, and the Men in Black Short in black pinstripe Italian suiting.
Look One The Track-Suit Jacket and Trouser in navy pinstripe Italian suiting, paired with the So Fresh and So Clean Shirt in white.
Look One The Track-Suit Jacket and Trouser in navy pinstripe Italian suiting, paired with the So Fresh and So Clean Shirt in white, and the Can I Kick It? Hoodie in lemon.
Look Two The World is Yours Coat in grey window pane Italian suiting, paired with the Swish Shirt in sky and lemon stripe, and the Playbook Pant in midnight.
Back View The World is Yours Coat in grey window pane Italian suiting.
Left The Playbook Pant in midnight. Right Swish Shirt in sky and lemon stripe.
Back View The Jump Long Sleeve T-Shirt in off-white, paired with the Track-Suit trouser in navy pinstripe Italian suiting.
Front View The Jump Long Sleeve T-Shirt in off-white.
REFERENCES
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